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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Grayson #13 Review

Like My Loafers?

Dick Grayson has been everywhere lately, but it's in this book that I love him the most. In fact, Grayson is on the very top of my pull list and I look forward to each and every issue. It's been consistently great with last issue being one of my favorites in quite some time. If you haven't read it than shame on you because you missed Dick returning to Gotham to let those he loves the most know that he's...you know, not dead. It gave me the feels and I am usually dead inside so that's saying something. So, what did Tom King do to top it? Nothing, because this month we get Tim Seeley on script. Did Seeley jump right in and amaze and astonish or was this more in line with the recent and disappointing Annual?

If you remember, the main reason that Dick left Spyral in a huff was that he learned that Spyral (and every Tom, Lex and Harry) could manipulate his hypnos and do whatever they want with him. While that might sound like the beginning of a very questionable movie, to Dick it's real and he was pissed. How are Helena and Spyral planning to get Dick back in the fold? With an apology and a very thorough cavity search. Of course, the reader knows that Dick has hacked his hypnos, but this scene still felt a bit forced to get things rolling quickly.

Rolling they do as we see one of my favorite Batman Eternal villains, Tiger Shark. The guy knows how to dress and I actually wouldn't have been surprised to hear him burst into Mr. Burn's "See My Vest". He's taken to being a pirate and has commandeered a Duff vessel. Boy, I wish that was another Simpson's reference, but instead it's the name of a shipping magnate who happens to be on the ship...and the father of a student at St. Hadrian's School for Girls. Enter Dick and Agent 1.

Of course a big fight starts with kicks, punches and witty comebacks and snarky comments. Actually, I didn't find the dialogue as witty and/or snarky as usual. It's a shame because that is what makes this book so special. Dick uses some cool tech to even the odds and then takes out Tiger Shark with a well placed kick to the head.

The book then takes a little breather as Agent 1 and Dick talk about the pros and cons of paying your bills when Mr. Duff shows up offering booze and maybe his daughter. Agent 1 seems game and that leaves Dick to contact "Alvin Draper". That's Tim Drake's spy name, but it made me laugh since I'm sure that if Tiger came in and found Dick whispering to anyone (even the famous Alvin Draper), Dick would be in hot water.

Tim has used his tech skills to figure out the identity of Agent Zero (ho hum), but also to show that she was around for a while, watching Batman. While the same thing was kind of revealed about Joker in Endgame, it was still a pretty cool development. Tim also found a lead outside of Berlin.

Before heading off to Berlin, we see Helena throw her weight around and threaten the leaders of the "We are Bad Guys in the Shadows Organization" and Midnighter setting up the God Garden and Ladytron to head exactly where Grayson needs to go. It's a cool way to get Spryal to send their two sexiest spies (I am still talking about Tiger and Grayson) to Germany.

The issue ends with Dick and Tiger fighting my new favorite Algorithm Model, Ladytron while Midnighter shows he has a sweet tooth and a certain agent shows she is everywhere the action is.

This was not my favorite issue of Grayson. I could tell things were not up to par when I had to check the page count to make sure this wasn't an over sized issue. Grayson usually flies by and upsets me that it seemed to end too soon...not this issue. I liked what it set up, but getting there was bordering on boring. Something I never thought I'd say about this book. Throw in a convoluted story, some forced interactions and mediocre dialogue and I want my favorite book back.

As long as Mikel Janin is on art, however, I can never totally hate an issue of Grayson. I loved his art as usual with Tiger Shark being my favorite. His Maltese Tiger jacket looked awesome!

Bits and Pieces:
Grayson is still my favorite book out right now, but this month's issue tried my patience a bit. The usual great dialogue and exciting storytelling were MIA and even though the issue sends the book off in some cool directions, I found myself very close to bored. I did love Mikel Janin's art, but this is the first issue of Grayson (besides the Annual) that I would not recommend to anyone and everyone. That would make me sad if I wasn't dead inside.

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